Translator's Foreword
The Caliphate of al-Musta^c in
The Events of the Year 249 (863/864)
Reason for the death of ^c Ali b. Yahya al-Armani
The Shakiriyyah riot in Baghdad
Reason for the death of Utamish and Shuja^c
The Events of the Year 250 (864/865)
Causes of Yahya b. ^c Umar b. Abi Talib's uprising
Reason for the rebellion of al-Hasan b. Zayd b. Abi Talib
The events of the Year 251 (865/866)
The killing of Baghar
The civil war between al-Mu ^c tazz and al-Musta^c in
Al-Mada'in during the civil war
Al-Anbar and the civil war
The Caliphate of al-Mu ^c tazz
The Events of the Year 252 (866/867)
Al-Mu ^c tazz removes his brother as heir to the throe
The death of al-Mu'ayyad, and its cause
The Death of al-Musta ^c in
The Talibids carried off to Samarra
The Events of the Year 253 (867)
The killing of Bundar al-Tabari
The Events of the Year 254 (868)
The killing of Bugha al-Sharabi
The Events of the Year 255 (868/869)
Ya ^c qub b. al-Layth takes Fars and captures^c Ali b.al-Husayn
Bibliography
Index

The period covered in this volume is one of the most tumultuous periods of Islamic history. In it, al-¿abari details with great success the intricate events that shaped real political power in Samarra and Baghdad during the middle of the ninth century, laying bare the dynamics through which the army generals--who were mainly of Central Asian Turkish extraction--consolidated their grip on the caliphate. The political maneuvering that enabled them to pass the reins of real power to their descendants, creating a dynasty parallel to the "legitimate" caliphal dynasty, is also clearly revealed.
A discounted price is available when purchasing the entire 39-volume History of al-¿abari set. Contact SUNY Press for more information.